After reading through the CMW-200 manual a second time, I realized the device has a Cake button! Probably the most poorly documented feature on the unit, and totally inflexible, it nevertheless would seem to indicate that the CMW-200 can, in fact, be used for cake.

I read more about the feature and fiddled with it. I was hoping maybe it would turn off the induction fan, but it seems to come on and off during cooking. It’s also possible it’s just the exhaust fan, it’s hard to tell, and the manual doesn’t say. However, it’s basically a hard-wired bake at 350 o F for 30 minutes. Neither parameter can be changed (though both can be adjusted for a normal Convection Bake.)

I decided to try using a silicone muffin tray and doing a smaller batch using only 1 egg. I again used this recipe, deferring further low-carb experiments until I had dialed into my oven better.

I used the Cake feature, preheating to 350 and then cooking for 30 minutes. I tried the previously failed toothpick test, and it looked clean. The outside had just begun to brown. I decided to leave the cake in the oven until it cooled down to maximize my cooking efficiency. I had also retrieved my egg beater from storage, and was able to do a much better job of creaming the sugar, butter, and eggs before gently mixing in the flour and goat milk.

And it worked!

While the crumb of this cake is much rougher than the Sara Lee product I routinely buy at La Mexicana, our local grocery store, it was fully cooked, not over-done, and delicious! Definitely a success, and a great place from which to improve and fiddle. I like the cupcake form factor, as both 1/2 or a full cupcake are good proportions, and they cook *much* faster and more evenly than the 4×8″ Sara Lee pans.

My two deviations from the recipe were to use turbinado sugar, which is grainer and a bit harder to get to dissolve than normal sugar, and goat’s milk instead of normal milk. One review of the recipe said they liked to use heavy cream and vanilla, which sound worth trying.

I wish I could be sure about the induction fan on the Cake feature. Maybe I can find a way to put something inside that would blow around a bit? If this is just a pre-programmed version of the Convection Bake feature, I’d say using that is better, because it’s more flexible. I think this recipe might turn out a bit more like a pound cake and less like a scone if it was cooked longer at a lower temperature.